Keys To The Kingdom
by This Wreckage
Summary: Seto Kaiba and Pegasus J. Crawford are forced to set aside their differences and work together to face a new threat. Somewhat AU, takes place post-series. Not romantic in nature (at least, not yet.) Chapter 1: At Kaiba Corporation's Domino City headquarters, Pegasus has something... interesting... to show his business partner. And that's only the beginning.


**Keys To The Kingdom**

**Chapter One: A Meeting**

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or its affiliated characters.

Rated for language, disturbing imagery and eventual violence.

Author's Notes: This story takes place approximately six years after the events of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. Slightly AU, it is _somewhat_ inspired by the video game Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Falsebound Kingdom for Gamecube. That said, it is in no way necessary to have played the game to understand or enjoy this story.

* * *

Seto Kaiba sat behind the desk in his spacious office, arms crossed, looking intently at the man in front of him.

Pegasus J. Crawford sat before him in a large chair of polished oak meant for guests. He was looking down, playing with what appeared to be a tablet, either an iPad or something similar. His long white hair fell over more than half of his face. He was wearing his favorite red suit and his legs were crossed leisurely at the ankle. He was a ridiculous sight, as usual.

"Just a moment, Kaiba-boy. I have to check -"

"You are free to leave at any time. I was under the impression that you had something of importance to tell me. If that's not the case, I have many matters of a_ctual_ importance waiting on me at this very second. I will not let them wait on you."

Pegasus looked up in feigned surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry! How rude of me! To be honest, you don't seem to be _that_ busy. Affairs at KaibaCorp appear to be rather... slow... today, to say the least. Although I'm _sure_ that's usually not the case." He smirked in self-satisfaction at what Kaiba knew was intended to be a jab. "Anyway, my mistake. How have you been, Kaiba-boy? You look a bit tired. Did you lose any sleep in anticipation of my visit?"

"No, but hearing you talk is giving me a headache. Tell me why you're here or get out of my office."

Pegasus paused, folding his hands in his lap, a smile slowly playing at the corners of his lips.

"Patience is a virtue, my friend. Why all the hurry? I know, you're just _so_ excited to find out what I have to say that you can't stand the suspense. Am I right?"

Kaiba scowled. As usual, this meeting was going to be a chore. At the same time, he knew the flamboyant game designer wouldn't make a special trip to Japan for purely trivial reasons. _He's being obnoxious to get a rise out of me, _he thought. _The more I react, the more he'll enjoy it._

Kaiba shifted slightly and stared at his visitor, still clearly annoyed. "Fine, Pegasus. It's obvious that you intend to draw this out in as dramatic a manner as possible. I can't stop you; just be aware that it's pathetic."

Suddenly, the older man's smirk disappeared and he sat up straighter, leaning forward a bit and smiling more genuinely. His visible eye was filled with excitement.

"You know I'm only playing, Kaiba. It's just so much fun to push your buttons, and you make it so easy that I can't resist. I'll be serious now."

"Hmph."

"As it turns out, I have several things to tell you, and I think I'll start with... the _least_ important." he stifled another chuckle.

Kaiba glared. "Whatever gets me on with my day the fastest."

Pegasus straightened up again, smiling proudly, and lifted the hair from the left side of his face.

Aside from barely visible traces of scarring around it, Pegasus's left eye perfectly matched the right. Kaiba blinked in surprise.

"It's still artificial, of course, but don't I look great?" the older man grinned.

_You... do. _Thought Kaiba, immediately cursing himself. Truly, though, he would never have been able to tell. Then, before he could stop himself – _Why didn't he do that a long time ago?_

"I just can't stop looking in the mirror! But then, I'm sure you can relate to that."

Kaiba _firmly_ ignored that comment, whatever it was supposed to mean. "Good for you, Pegasus, but this hardly warrants a trip overseas," he said, still mildly irritated.

"I know, as I said, be patient! If there's one thing I know you can appreciate, it's advanced technology. And this eye -" he pointed to it dramatically, "can _see_."

Kaiba frowned. "I don't believe you. That sort of thing doesn't exist yet. If you're telling the truth, Pegasus, cover your other eye and tell me how many fingers I'm holding up."

"Sure thing!" Pegasus did so. Kaiba held up his hand.

"Now, lower your hand." said Pegasus, right eye still covered. Kaiba obliged.

Pegasus smiled and lowered his hand, as well. "Give me just a moment," he said, looking down at the tablet resting in his lap.

_What is he doing? And what the hell is the point of this? _Thought Kaiba, increasingly confused, as Pegasus tapped away at the tablet.

Pegasus broke out in a wide grin and laughed out loud. "Very funny, Kaiba-boy! I'm glad to see your sense of humor isn't _completely _desolate these days. Although I have to say, you've got a very rude way of treating guests."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he peered over the desk. The image displayed on Pegasus's tablet was that of his own annoyed face, the middle finger on his right hand raised defiantly in the air.

"It's a camera?" implored Kaiba, rather dumbfounded and doing his best to hide it. "So everything you see is being recorded, without anyone else knowing it?"

"Not _just _a camera." said Pegasus, both eyes narrowing as he smiled darkly. "A computer."

* * *

"Explain this to me," said Kaiba, standing up in spite of himself. A cup of black coffee, slowly cooling, went unnoticed on the desk.

"I knew I would manage to capture your interest, somehow," said Pegasus, still smiling. "Everything I see, the computer analyzes. It doesn't matter what I'm doing. If I'm driving, for example, and it sees another car about to hit mine," he paused, "My car will break or change direction appropriately, without me having to do a thing. I have it all synched up, it's wonderful! I barely even have to pay attention. If someone _is _driving recklessly, it will also run their license plate, so I know exactly who to hold accountable."

_I don't think you should have a driver's license,_ thought Kaiba, gritting his teeth.

"Any face I see, it runs against a database, maintained privately by my company. I can find out almost anything about anyone, just by looking at them. Their real name, their social networking profiles, every place they've lived, their employment history, any time they might have made the news. The information is almost instantly available to me -" Pegasus held up and tapped his tablet, which Kaiba could now see was marked with the I2 logo. "Here."

"And what's the purpose of this?" said Kaiba, suddenly reminded of Duelist Kingdom. He pushed the unsettling thought to the back of his mind.

Pegasus laughed. "I thought we knew each other better than that. Why do I do almost anything? Because I _can,_ Kaiba-boy."

"So you've been recording this meeting?" Kaiba, now leaning over his desk, fists clenched, was suddenly flush with anger. "Turn that thing off right now."

Pegasus, not looking away from Kaiba, swiftly moved his hair back into place. "Better?" He asked, his expression of fake innocence and thinly veiled amusement further infuriating to the younger man.

"You are – creepy and invasive beyond words, Pegasus. Although I should have expected nothing less -"

"Kaiba-boy, I trust you," Pegasus interrupted. "I have no desire or reason to use this on you."

"And why would I believe that? I _don't _trust you."

Pegasus extended his hand, offering Kaiba the tablet, who snatched it and sat down.

"I turned it on at the beginning of our chat. I turned it off right after you... showed me your hand, as it were. Although it wasn't cards that I saw, this time," Pegasus grinned smugly. "I only wanted to give you a demonstration."

Kaiba immediately figured out how to use the tablet's software to view their recent conversation. He could see, mostly, darkness, until Pegasus had moved his hair out of the way. True to what he'd said, the video ended right after Pegasus had looked down at the tablet, following Kaiba's insulting hand gesture.

He handed the tablet back, employing every ounce of self-control that he had to keep from throwing it. "If I have even the slightest inclination that you are recording any further part of this meeting, I'll have you thrown out of here immediately. And you won't be welcome back."

"You certainly don't have to worry about that," said Pegasus, crossing his legs and folding his hands, "Because as far as I'm concerned, and I'm sure you'll feel the same... after I leave this room, the rest of this meeting will have _never happened._ Which brings me to the _real_ reason I've graced you with my presence today."

* * *

Kaiba sat rigidly, still processing what he'd just seen. _It's the closest thing to the Millennium Eye that he could accomplish using technology,_ he thought, mildly disturbed although determined not to let it rattle him.

"I take it you are aware," began Pegasus, "of the virtual reality game, The Kingdom, developed by the American gaming company SIC Industries?"

"Of course I am," replied Kaiba coldly. "I'm also aware that you signed a contract allowing the use of Duel Monsters content in the game."

"This is true," continued Pegasus. "I was contacted in regards to the project about two years ago, and at the time, was absolutely thrilled by the idea. I believed it could revolutionize PC gaming and I was more than happy to contribute my monsters. After all, what could be better for my company than to have its unmistakable signature on such a groundbreaking product? That said, I hope you don't feel as though I've cheated on you," he smirked at the younger man, far too amused with himself.

Kaiba's scowl was back in full force. "I have no reason to care about whom else you license your intellectual property to. I don't even consider them a competitor. Take note that from this point on, I am done responding to stupid comments. This is your last chance. Talk straight, or -" he pointed to the door behind Pegasus, his voice dropping to a tone that indicated he was nothing but dead serious, "_Get out_."

"You are truly no fun, it's such a shame! But I'm used to it by now," the elder sighed, "I suppose I can make a special effort to keep the rest of our conversation as _boring_ as possible."

Kaiba said nothing but stared intently at the man, his blue eyes narrowed in irritation and his patience tearing like tissue paper.

"As I was saying," continued Pegasus, "The Kingdom, although expensive for consumers due to the initial investment required in the equipment, has taken off in the American market in the few months since its release to the public. Negotiations have been in the works to bring it to Japan and to the rest of the world. In fact, its scheduled release date here is in two weeks."

"You act as though I don't already know all of this," said Kaiba. _He really does like to hear himself talk, _he thought, disgusted.

"That's because I want the information to be fresh in your mind. You tend to sacrifice thoroughness for the sake of brevity, you know... not to mention manners," said Pegasus in a tone such as to imply he were imparting valuable wisdom.

_The only thing being sacrificed right now is my time_, thought Kaiba, although for the moment he said nothing. He glanced at his watch.

"I don't want to believe this," Kaiba said, "because no matter what, I will never get back the last ten minutes of my life... Did you take an international trip only to brag about the success of your business venture? If that is the case, I will never meet with you in person again, and I truly mean it. From this day on, all further dealings between our companies will be handled exclusively via our employees."

Pegasus looked legitimately wounded by the idea. "Of course not, Kaiba! Don't be absurd. And let me finish, please. This _is_ important, I assure you."

"I realize, Pegasus," continued Kaiba, "that this game, The Kingdom, has been successful in America. Regardless, I have no interest in it whatsoever. Virtual reality was never a direction I intended to take Kaiba Corporation – I see no point in it. Kaiba Corporation creates products to be used in physical reality, face-to-face. If you can't look your opponent in the eye, you are not a true duelist but a coward hiding behind a screen and an Internet connection."

Pegasus paused. "So I take it you haven't tested the game yourself? That was going to be my next question."

For an instant, Kaiba felt almost relieved that Pegasus didn't know _everything_, although he certainly didn't show it. "No, and I don't intend to," he responded flatly.

"To each their own, I suppose. It really is quite amazing, the world they've developed. Although I suppose I'm wasting my breath," said Pegasus.

"I've experienced virtual reality firsthand, Pegasus. I know exactly what it is and I'm not impressed. Those snakes, the Big 5, created a similar game of their own in an attempt to trap me after _you_ were defeated at Duelist Kingdom," he emphasized the end of that sentence in an effort to make it sting. "Even prior to that, at the time I acquired Kaiba Corporation, my predecessor had begun to develop virtual worlds for the purpose of studying the effects of weapons."

Pegasus nodded at the indirect mention of Gozaburo, but did not comment on it. "I understand that you cut the funding for all of those projects."

"Not only did I cut the funding; I've completely destroyed all traces of them," said Kaiba, icy eyes narrowing in anger as he forced back memories of the second virtual world he'd visited with Yugi.

The visitor nodded again. "Fair enough," he said, "It is very interesting to consider, though, that Scott Irvine, the president of SIC Industries, is a former employee of yours."

"He was an employee of Gozaburo's," spat Kaiba, clenching his fists. "He left the company on his own terms after I rose to power. He hasn't been missed. What's your point with all of this?"

Pegasus uncrossed his legs and thought for a moment. "What else have you heard about The Kingdom? You seem to know plenty about it, especially considering your professed lack of interest."

"I read gaming journals, as they are relevant to my business. That's it."

"I see," said Pegasus, taking a deep breath. "I assure you, there is more to the story. A lot more. What I'm about to tell you does _not_ leave this room under any circumstances. Do you understand?"

Kaiba nodded curtly. "I'm listening."

"This is a matter that has not been revealed to the public in any way. In fact, I could go so far as to say that it has been deliberately _concealed._"

The younger CEO almost laughed. "A conspiracy theory? How fitting of you. I suppose you're about to tell me that the moon landing didn't happen? Is the government controlling our minds from outer space?"

"Although I really do appreciate your attempt at humor, I am as serious as can be right now, Kaiba. There is no way to confirm nor deny this beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I sincerely hope you will at least hear me out. I came to you of all people for a very specific reason."

Kaiba rapped his fingers on the desk impatiently. "Let's get on with it, then."

"None of this information is available anywhere in the media; an Internet search will turn up nothing. I have caught wind, however, and trust me when I say that _I have my ways-" _Pegasus turned his head slightly so that his hair would move to again reveal the mechanical eye, as though Kaiba had needed a reminder - _"_of reports that certain, heavy users of The Kingdom have suffered... how do I put it? Ill effects. Specifically among the group who were involved with beta testing."

"What sort of 'ill effects', Pegasus?" scoffed Kaiba, "Vitamin D deficiency? The inability to socialize normally unless sitting in front of computer?"

"Forever the skeptic, I see," the silver-haired man replied, the corners of his mouth turning downward, "but no. According to my sources, several of them have required inpatient psychiatric treatment for delusions and severe dissociative symptoms. This is not a joke, Kaiba; nor do I believe it to be a coincidence."

Kaiba was silent for a moment as the reality of that statement sunk in.

"And not only that," continued his guest, "there have also been... disappearances."

"Disappearances?" Kaiba nearly stammered in disbelief. "If that's true, how has it not been reported? Something like that wouldn't go unnoticed by the press... those vultures would be all over a scandal like that."

Pegasus, sighing again, closed his eyes and laced his fingers. "At the risk of sounding unbelievable – and before you make another quip about me having forgotten my tinfoil hat – there are forces at play that possess the ability to control the media. With enough money and influence it is not only entirely possible, but disturbingly _easy _to cover up the truth. I've done it myself, before. Not to dredge up the past again, but consider for a moment that the general public does not, and will never, know exactly what happened at my tournament several years ago. Although not my proudest moment, that was _definitely_ no accident." His eyes opened again, his suddenly cold expression sending a chill down Kaiba's spine.

The younger man steeled himself, leaning forward. He glanced down at the forgotten mug of coffee, now closer to room temperature, took a sip and set it back down. "If I am to accept this information as true, how many purported disappearances have their been?"

"At least two that I'm aware of, both from the aforementioned beta testing group. A nineteen-year-old man and a twenty-three-year-old woman. University students." Pegasus looked at the coffee, suddenly interested. "I beg your pardon, but I could use some of that myself. Would you possibly be so kind as to-"

"_When_ did these people go missing?" Kaiba interrupted, pressing a hand to his temple in exasperation. _Easily distracted fool, _he thought scathingly, though biting his tongue.

"The young man, by the name of Eduardo Ramirez, was last seen about three weeks ago, according to my intel. The woman, Catherine Albrecht, has been missing for nearly ten days. Both of them live in the San Francisco area, which is not far, as you know, from the headquarters of both Industrial Illusions and SIC Industries."

"The most fascinating and perhaps troubling detail I've uncovered through my research," Pegasus continued, "is that although SIC Industries' corporate headquarters is located in same the city as I reside, there is another base – it's really more of a secure compound – in the remote wilderness of the Pacific northwest. Little is known about it; no information can be found through their website or anywhere else for that matter. It's as if they want to pretend it doesn't exist. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but I have a strong intuitive feeling that _this base _is somehow related to the disappearances."

_Says the man who owns a private island in international waters, which has been used for the purpose of conducting shady business and taking hostages, _thought Kaiba in utter disgust. _It takes one to know one._

Then the realization hit him all at once, nearly taking the air out of his lungs in the process. Kaiba stood up again, slamming his fist down on the desk in rage. "I know exactly where this is going, Pegasus! I should have known all along. You are concerned about the reputation of your company and you want _my _help to get to the bottom of this before the story breaks!"

Pegasus appeared surprised. "Very perceptive of you! Although I'm rather hurt you would assume that my motivations are entirely selfish. Let me remind you that you've got just as much at stake here, Kaiba-boy, as Duel Monsters is every bit as inextricably linked to your company as it is to I2. Not to mention Scott Irvine's connection to Kaiba Corporation! All of that aside, thousands of lives are potentially at stake! Knowing what I do, there's no way I can sit idly by and allow more harm to come to innocent people!"

Kaiba fell silent, his heart beating rapidly, his headache intensifying. _There is no way this is happening, _he thought.

Pegasus shook his head, suddenly looking very sad in a way that made the younger man uncomfortable. "I've dealt out enough suffering to others in the past," he said regretfully, "and although I've paid dearly for it, I can't ignore this situation while knowing that something related to _my game_ is causing such damage, especially when I might be the only one in the world with the ability to put an end to it. That is -" he paused, standing up to meet Kaiba's eyes, and said in a voice nearly shaking with emotion, "if you are willing to help me."

* * *

Thank you for reading! Any reviews are, of course, greatly appreciated.


End file.
